Printing mechanism



'May 2, 1939. Tf E. ToRKl-:LsoN PRINTING MEGHANISM Filed Sept. 5, 195e 5 sheets-sheet 2 NVENTOR A14/M ATTORNEY May 2, 1939. T. E. ToRKELsoN PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept.` 5, 1936 `55 Sheets-Sheet 5l ATTORNEY May 2, 1939- T. E. TQRKELsoN i 2,157,035

PRINTING 'MECHANISM Filed sept. 5, 1936 5 sheets-sneeer l.; 46 11 49 4 54 52 Q Z \l 2 55' ArToRNEY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY May 2, 1939. T. 'roRKELsoN PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 5, 1936 Patented May 2, 1939 PRINTING MECHANISM Torkel Edwin Torkelson, Baldwin, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines C tion.' New York, N. Y., a corporation o! New York Application September 5, 1936, Serial No. 99,561

15 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to printing machines and more particularly to machines of the perforated record card controlled type.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved type of printing mechanism suitable for high speed operation.

A more specic object is to provide a plurality of independent type wheels arranged on e common supporting shaft to which they are impositively connected for rotation and upon which they are separately slidable in a direction transverse to the axis of the shaft for printing engagement with a platen.

A further specific object is to provide a plurality of printing wheels arranged on e. common shaft whereon they may be rotated different amounts to effect an alinement of type to represent numbers or words. Provision is made for separately striking each of the type wheels to eect concurrent printing from all of the positioned type wheels.

A further object resides in the provision of improved impression mechanism including a rotatable type wheel and a printing hammer arranged to strike the printing wheel to force it against a platen in which the configuration of the hammer and the type wheel at the point of impact is such as to effect a positive alinement of the type before an impression is made therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of so-called zoning mechanism for the interpretation of combinational hole perforations in record card columns representing alphabetic characters.

Various other objects and advantages of the' invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and useful features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. l is a sectional view of the printing mechanism showing the arrangement of the mechamsm.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the driving connections to the printing mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in displaced position for printing a selected character.

y Fig. 4 .is a diagrammatic .View showing the card feeding and sensing devices land the gear connections therefrom to the printing mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a section at an enlarged scale taken 'along the lines 5--5 of Fig. 1. y

Fig. 6 is a detail of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken along thelines 6-6 of Fig. 1. V l

(Cl. IGI-93) Fig. 'I is an end view of a differential lgear mechanism. looking in the direction of lines 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a detail of a record card showing th arrangement of the perforations which represent the alphabetic and numerical characters.

Fig. 9 is a timing chart of the various operating cams of the device. Y

The machine in which the present improvements have been incorporated is well known and is exemplied in the patent to J. R. Peirce No. 2,042,324. In the machine illustrated in detail in above described patent and generally herein, tebulating cards l@ are arranged to be fed singly by a picker ii (Fig. d) from a supply stack i2 to pairs of feed rollers it which advance the record cards to pass between a set of card sensing brushes lli and contact blocks i5 disposed on opposite sides of the card. Further pairs of feed rollers le continue the advance of the cards to the usual discharge hopper. The feed rollers and picker are driven Yfrom a motor TM whichhas belt, pulley, and gear connection il to a shaft i8. A gear i@ mounted on the shaft drives the usual train of gearing, generally designated 2d, for operating the picker li and feed rollers i3 and le. The ratio of the gearing is such that shaft it makes one revolution for each card conveyed to pass the brushes iii. 4

A recordl card is shown in Fig. l0 and is arranged with the usual columns, each yoi' which contains twelve index point positions. The perforations in positions l to t inclusive represent the digits l to 9 and the perforations in the t, ii, and i2 index point positions are known as zone perforations and are employed in combination with the numerical perforations to represent alphabetie characters. Thus the letter A is represented by perforations in the l and i2 positions; the letter B by perforations in the 2 and i2 positions; and so on.

As the cards are fed through the machine, the 9 index point positions lead and' as a perforation is encountered by a brush M, a circuit is completed from one side of line 2l, through the usual card lever contacts 22 which are closed as long as cards are passing the brushes, cam controlled contacts 23, which close while the card is in engagement with the brushes, brush I4, perforation in the record card, contact block i5, a wire sented by a single perforation in a column andthe alphabetic characters by double perforations so that for numerals, the magnet 28 receives a single impulse, while for letters, the magnet is energized twice. Provision is made for indicating additional symbols, such as the minus sign and the symbol these being represented by perforations in the II and I2 positions, respectively.

Shaft I8 has secured thereto a gear 3| (Figs. 2 and 4) which drives a gear 32 secured on shaft 33.

Gear 32 meshes with a gear 34 pivoted to stud- 35 which gear in turn meshes with a gear 36 mounted on a stud 31. Gear 36 forms part of a differential mechanism (see also Fig. 7) in which the gear drives a pinion 38 which in turn, through pinion 39, drivesa gear 48 coaxial with gear 36 and in the opposite direction thereto. The gear 48 meshes with a gear 4I carried by shaft 42. The ratio of the chain of gearing just traced issuch that shafts 33 and 42 make two revolutions for each revolution of shaft I8, or, in other words, two revolutions per card cycle.

'I'he pinions 38 and 39 are supported on an arm 43 which is pivoted on the stud 31 and carries a cam roller 44 with which the cam 45 supported on stud 35 engages. The cam 45 and the differential gearing provide a convenient mechanism for varying the rate of operation of shaft 42 and also causes the shaft to remain at rest for a period sumcient to effect printing from the printing wheels which are carried by the shaft, as explained hereinafter.

Referring to Fig. 9, the motion of the shaft 42 is indicated opposite the legend Type wheel shaft and the horizontal line indicates the movement ofthe shaft at a uniform rate while the index'point positions 9 to 8 of the card pass the sensing brush I4. Thereafter the'shaft isfdecelerated, coming to rest and remaining motionless for the period indicated, after which it is accelerated to return to a uniform motion. 'I'his change in the rate of movement of shaft 42 is brought about by the rotation of the pinions 38 and 39 around gears 38 and 40 and cam 45.

Referring now to Figs. l and 5, the shaft 42 carries a plurality of type wheels 46 provided withtype elements 41 about the periphery of the wheels. The wheels 46 are rotatably supported on members 58 which are provided with rectangular openings for mounting on shaft 42 which is also of rectangular cross section in the plane of the type wheels. The shaft 42 is provided with recesses 48 which receive springs 49 to hold the members 58 in the position 'shown in Fig. 1 relative tothe shaft. Irr this position, the members 58 and type wheels 46 are concentric with shaft 42 and rotate therewith. Member 58 is star-shaped as shown and drives type wheel 46 through the impositive connection which includes pawls 5I pivoted 'to the type wheel and urged into engagement with member 58 by means of springs 52. Each type wheel 46 is provided with a plurality of teeth 53, one for each of the digits 9 to 1, and a tooth 53a for the zero position which is longer than the teeth 53. At the commencement of operations, the tooth 53a abuts the pin 54 lying in its path. This engagement holds the type wheel against rotation with the member 58. As the record card is about to pass the sensing brushes and just before the first index point position is sensed, the arm 55 which carries pin 54 is rocked clockwise about its pivot 56 to release the type wheel for rotation in synchronism with the further movement of the record card. This rocking of arm 55 is effected by a slide 51 which is forked at opposite ends to straddle shafts 42 and 68. A cam 59 on shaft 58 is provided with a lower portion 68 into which a pin 6I on slide 51 .drops under the influence of spring 62, causing the pin 63 in the slide to engage the edge of an opening 64 in member 55 to rock the member clockwise. This rocking is momentary as the pin 6I drops into the depression 68 and rises again to rock pin 54 into position in which it is held by a latch 65 pivoted at 66.

Referring to Fig. 2, the shaft 58 is driven through gears 61 from stud 35 and makes one revolution for each card. With the printing wheels now in motion, the teeth 53 will successively approach and pass the pin 54 as the corresponding index point positions of the record card pass the sensing brushes I4. Upon sensing a perforation, the circuit traced above will be completed through a magnet 28 which will rock its armature 68 counterclockwise to draw a link 69 toward the right. The left or free end of link 69 is normally urged upward by a springv connection 18 ,with latch 65 and its movement in this direction is limited by a cam 1I carried by shaft-58 which is timed so, that while the index point positions 9 to I are passing the brushes, the link 69 has its left end in the lower position and while the remaining index point positions 8, II, and I2 are passing the brushes, the cam will permit the link to rise to its upper position as indicated in Fig. 3, but when in its lower position, the left end of the link engages a lateral extension on the lower end of latch 65 so that upon energization of magnet 28 the latch will be rocked counterclockwise, causing it to release arm 55 to permit spring 12 to rock the arm and pin 54 into engagement with one of the teeth 53 to interrupt the further rotation of the printing wheel 48.

'Ihe arm 55 is pivoted at' 56 to the free end of an arm 13 which is pivoted on a cross rod 14 and provided with a roller 15 urgedv by a spring 16 into engagement with zoning cam 11. Cams 11, of which there is one for each type. wheel, are mounted for rotation on members 18 in the same manner thatthe type wheels 46 are mounted on the members 58. The members 18 are keyed to shaft 33 and drive the cams 11 through a similar spring and pawl connection 19, 88. Each cam is provided with four teeth 8| which cooperate with a pawl 82 pivoted at 83. At the commencement of operations, pawl 82 lies in the path of the teeth 8l and as the cam rotates, the rst tooth will be engaged by the pawl and further rotation will be interrupted. Just after the 1 index point position has passed the brushes, a bail 84 extending across the pawls 82 will be rocked counterclockwise and then back again to latch the pawl 82 on a latch 85 between which and the pawl there is a spring connection 88. The bail 84 is carried by a rod 81 which in Fig. 2 carries a springpressed arm 88 to which is connected a follower link 89 having a roller 98 in engagement with a cam 9| carried by shaft 58. The time of the initial rocking of bail 84 is indicated in Fig. 9 and with pawl 82 now latched, the cam 11 may rotate with the member 18 due to the pawl-star wheel connection.

The teeth 8| labelled 8, II, and I2 now pass the nose of the pawl 82 as the corresponding index point positions pass the sensing brushes and during this period the link 69 is in its upper position wherein the left end thereof is in engagement with a lateral extension of latch 85 (see also Fig. 6). If the brushes now sense a perforation in the zero position, magnet 28 is again energized,

drawing nnk sa toward the iight and rocking latch 95 clockwise so that pawl 82 rocks into engagement with cam 1| to interceptv the zero tooth 8|. 1f the perforation occurred at the "12 position, rocking would be effected later to engage the i2 tooth 9|. The cam 11 is configured to lower the roller 15 as the cam rotates to position the roller in one of four zoning positions.

Thus, if the cam is interrupted at the zero tooth 9|, roller 15 will remain in the position of Fig. 1'. /If the toothal is engaged, the roller 15 will drop-to the portion 11a of the cam, and if the I2 tooth 8| is engaged, the roller will drop to the portion 11b of the cam, while if no tripping of pawl 32 occurs, the roller 15 will drop to the 11e portion of the cam. This differential positioning of the roller 15 has the effect of placing the pin 54 of arm 55 in one of four positions and the opening 64 in the member 55 is designed to cooperate with pin 63 so that this movement of pin 54 will take place in a concentric arc.

The pin 54, upon initially intercepting a tooth 53 will engage in a notch at the base of the tooth so that when arm 55 is lowered under control o-f cam 'i1 pin 54 will positively advance the wheel at.

Briey reviewing the operation, upon sensing a perforation in the record card, the pin 54 will interrupt printing wheel 46 and if the second yat perforation sensed is in the zero position, the cam 11 will be interrupted to maintain the roller 15 in its uppermost position or that shown in Fig. 1 so that the character represented by one of thedigit perforations, plus a zero perforation,

will be presented to the printing line. If the sec-` ond perforationoccurred in the index point position, the type wheel 4B would have rotated to present the next adjacent type element, and if the second perforation were in the l2 position, the next type element would be presented, and if no second perforation werepresent, the third adjacentl type element would be presented to the printing line due to the three additional steps of movement of /the printing wheel after` its initial interruption. I

In Fig. 3 is showny the position of the parts after the magnet 29 has been twice energized, rst in response to a perforation in the 6 position, and second, in response to a perforation in the position, this being in accordance with perforations in the 6 and positions, which according to Fig. 8 represent the letter "0. It will be seen that the pin 54'has engaged the 6 tooth 53, interrupting further rotationof type wheel 56 beyond this point, while the cam 11 has been interrupted with its portion 11a directly beneath roller 15, thus lowering pin' 54 one step topresent the letter O to the printing line. l It will be observed that if the perforation I2 had beensensed instead of the roller 15 will have dropped one step lfarther and the next ad- Ajacent type element which is F would have been presented, whileif no second Vperforation were presented, roller 15 would have dropped two steps farther to present the numeral 6 to thel printng line. On the other hand, if the pawl 92 had been tripped to intercept the zero tooth 8|, there would v have been no downward movement of roller 15 a toward the printing platen 93. This movement is eected as follows: l

For eachtype wheel 46 there is provided a printing hammer 94 pivoted on a rod 95 and urged by a spring 96 in a clockwise direction. The hammers are normally restrained in the position of Fig. 1 by spring-pressed latches 91. After the shaft 42 has come to rest, a bail 99 is rocked clockwise to trip latches 91 so that the hammers 94 are rocked against the type wheels 46 and urge them against the platen to print from the selected type. Each hammer 94 is configured as shown with V-shaped camming surfaces which engage the sides of the type faces to thus provide a means of accurately alining the type'wheel as the ,latter is forced against the platen. The bail 98 is connected by a link 99 (Fig. 1) to a follower arm |00 whose roller |0| cooperates with a cam |02 on shaft 58 which cam is suitably timed as indicated in Fig. 9.

Between the platen and printing wheels is a tion for each card, but due to the gear ratio, this single revolution is made in a half card cycle.

After printinghas been eected from the positioned type wheels, cam 9| rocks its bail 04 again to release the pawls 82 but not far enough .to be lengaged by the latches 85, whereupon the cams 11 rotate. The pawls 82 'are held outa sufficient length of time to permit passage of all the teeth 8| by the nose of the pawl after which the bail permits the pawls to re-engage the cam so that the leading tooth 8| will be intercepted and all the cams will be realined and held in this position until the index point positions 9 to l of the next following card have been analyzed.

Near the end of the cycle, cam 9| causes bail 84 to move upwardly sufficient to engage arms 85a (Figs. 1 and 3) .of those latches 85 which have not been tripped in response to a zone perforation. Thusallthe pawls 82 willbe in position to intercept .their respective cams 11 by engagement with the leading teeth 0| Following printing, the arms 55 are withdrawn from the? teeth 53 and rocked into position to intercept the long teeth 53a sothat the 'type wheels which are now free to rotate will realine themselves and stop against the pin 54 which, just before the 9 position of the next following card is sensed, will be moved out of the Wayv of the long teeth to permit the type wheels to advance in synchronism with the sensing ofv the next record card. y

The platen 93 may beadvanced by any suitable spacing mechanism and it is apparent that the usual latches may be provided for the hammers 94 so that one or more thereof maybe locked against operation as desired. 4

While there hasbeen shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of theinvention as applied to a single modification,

itwill be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in itsl operation may be made by those skilled` in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the fohowing claims.

' What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a printing machine, a printing wheel having a plurality of type about its periphery, a supporting shaft for said wheel, means for mounting said wheel on said shaft for movement` of the wheel transversely to the axis of the shaft, means for effecting rotary displacement of said wheel about said shaft to select a type for printing and means for'moving said wheel upon said shaft transversely to its axis of rotation to effect printing from the selected type.

2. In a printing machine, a printing wheel having a plurality of type about its periphery, a supporting shaft for said wheel, an impositive connection between said shaft and said wheel, means for mounting said wheel on said shaft for movement of the wheel transversely to the axis of the shaft, means for rotating said shaft and wheel to move said type to pass a printing position in succession, means for interrupting the rotation of said wheel to stop a selectedtype in printing position and means for moving said w-heel upon said shaft transversely to its axis of rotation to effect printing from the selected type.

3. In a printing machine, a printing wheel I having a plurality of type about its periphery, a

supporting shaft, an impositive connection between said shaft and wheel, means for rotating said shaft and wheel to cause said type to pass a printing position in succession, means for interrupting the rotation of said wheel with the shaft to present a selected type to the printing position and a hammer to strike said wheel and move the same transversely to its axis of rotation to effect printing from the selected type.

4. In combination, a platen, a coacting type wheel, a supporting shaft on which the type wheel is mounted for rotation and also for transverse movement relative to the shaft, means for maintaining the type wheel in a rearward transverse position on the shaft, spaced from the platen, and means for moving the type wheel forwardly and transversely relative to the shaft to strike the type wheel against the platen to effect printing.

5. In combination, a type wheel, a supporting shaft, normally concentric therewith, means for mounting said wheel for movement out of concentricity therewith, a platen, a hammer, and means for causing said hammer to engage and move said wheel out of concentricity with said shaft and toward said platen to effect an impression thereupon.

6. In a printing machine, a type wheel, a supporting shaft, means for rotating said shaft with a uniform motion and bringing it to rest periodically, means for effecting relative' rotative displacement between said wheel and shaft during its period of uniform motion and means for moving the wheel transversely to the direction of its axis during said rest period to take an impression therefrom.

7. In a printing mechanism, a type wheel having spaced type faces with cam portions integral therewith, a supporting shaft, means for effecting rotative displacement of said wheel upon said shaft to select a type for printing, a platen and Y a hammer arranged to strike the said cam portions of the type diametrically opposite the selected type to impel the wheel against the platen and aline said wheel.

8. In a printing mechanism of the class described, a supporting shaft, means to rotate the same, a member mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith and slidable thereon in a direction transverse to its axis, a type wheel carried by said member, an impositive driving connection between the two and means for causing said member and wheel to slide transversely to the axis of said shaft to effect printing from said wheel.

9. In a machine of the class described, a printing wheel having type characters ther'eon, a* supporting shaft, said Wheel having anfimpositive connection with said shaft for rotation thereby, means for mounting said wheel on said shaft for movement of the wheel transversely to the axis of said shaftpmeans for rotating said shaft,a means for interrupting the rotation of the wheel with the shaft to select a character for printing and for locking said wheel in position, and means for causing an impression to be taken from the selected character.

10. A printing mechanism comprising a rotating shaft, a type wheel mounted on said shaft for impositive driving thereby, said wheel having a plurality of typel elements about its periphery, a member for positively engaging said wheel to interrupt its movement with said shaft and means for causing a differential displacement ,of said member after engagement with said wheel whereby the wheel is given an additional movement to select a type element for printing.

11. A printing mechanism comprising a printing wheel, means for impositively rotating said wheel, primary selecting means for interrupting the rotation of said wheel comprising a stopping member operable at differential times to engage and hold the Wheel against rotation, secondary selecting means comprising a camv cooperating with said member and means for causing differential rotation of said cam to effect displacement of said member and wheel to select a desired character for printing.V

12. The invention set forth in claim 11 in which common means is provided for causing the operation of said primary and secondaryl selecting means.

13. The invention set forth in claim l1 in which common means is provided for causing the successive operation of said primary and secondary selecting means.

14. In a printing machine, a printing wheel having a plurality of type about its periphery, a supporting shaft for said wheel, an impositive connection between said shaft and said wheel, means for mounting said wheel on said shaft for movement on the shaft, means for rotating said shaft and wheel to cause said type to pass a printing position in succession, means for interrupting the rotation of said wheel and to lock the same with a selected type in printing position and means for moving said wheel upon said shaft transversely to its axis of rotation to effect printing from the selected type.

15. In a printing machine, a printing Wheel having type elements thereon, a supporting shaft, means for mounting said wheel on said shaft for movement on the shaft, means for'rotating said Wheel and shaft to present a type element to printing position and means for effecting relative movement between said shaft and wheel in a direction transverse to the axis of rotation to take an impression from a type element.

TORKEL EDWIN ToRKELsoN. 

